Mel Like honey
by CaladielTelperion
Summary: The missing year held many consequences. And Regina finds that is impossible to run from the man with the lion tattoo. Outlaw Queen AU from 316 onward.
1. Chapter 1

**For some reason I think Regina should bring with her some major consequence of the missing year, something she couldn't deny. And here's my poor version of it.**

**I do hope you enjoy and don't forget to let me know.**

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Regina was now shifting her _weight_ from one _foot_ to another at Snow's apartment. Snow herself and her huge pregnant belly, Charming and Emma had been staring at her for a whole minute now with a curious face.

"Why don't you just spit it out?" Emma said shrugging.

"Well…" Regina took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

"Wow. That – that's.. Wow!" The blond said whilst her parents couldn't stop gaping.

"Yes, I know. That is pretty much how I feel."

Regina wasn't sure yet about why she chose to tell them. After confirming her pregnancy her head was in turmoil. She actually hadn't been able to form a single coherent thought since.

"And… Ahn… who would the father be?" Snow asked

"I don't remember." And how could she? She had no memory about the missing year. A whole week passed since they got back to Storybrooke and only the day before had she found out about the pregnancy, and if this wasn't just enough, she was on the second trimester.

"Of course you don't remember." Snow shook her head. "I'm sorry. Stupid question."

"Yes, it was."

"How long are you?" Emma asked.

"The doctor said I'm in the end of the fifteenth week. He said that the symptoms I'm having should have gone by now but showing up here with all this new curse thing may have messed up this."

"But you and the baby are fine right?" Snow asked.

"Yes. We are fine." She told and after a second she added. "It's a girl." Before she could prevent the words from leave her mouth.

"Oh my God! I know this is all crazy but – Oh my God, Regina!" Snow said clapping her hands utterly excited.

"There's nothing to be happy about it, Snow." Regina told her. "I didn't tell you all to spread happiness. I just needed to get this off my mind but no one else can know. It's too dangerous."

"You mean Zelena can't know." David said and Regina nodded. "Don't worry we won't say anything."

"Thanks." Regina grabbed her purse from the table. "I better be going." She said walking to the door.

"Regina, wait." Emma asked. "Do you have any idea who the father may be?"

She wasn't expecting this question. Not at all. Not after she said she didn't remember who he was. When she found out she was caring a child the first thing she wondered was about the father and there was only one name that came in,_ Robin Hood_. And she would be damned if she was telling this to them. Mostly because she would have also to tell them why she thought he was the father and that was one thing she would take to her grave.

"No. No idea." And as soon as the words left her mouth Regina realized her mistake.

"You are so lying!" Emma squealed.

Regina cursed herself. She was always forgetting about Emma's _super power_. "It doesn't matter if I have or not an idea about whom he may or may not be because I am certainly not dragging him to this."

"Regina, if you know who he is you must tell him!" Snow declared indignant.

"I don't have to do such a thing. Mostly because I don't _know_ who he is I only have a faint idea about who he is." Regina felt a bit angry. How dare Snow White tell her what to do? "And even if I knew for sure what do you expect me to do? Show up at his door, smile and say 'Hi, it looks like you got the great Evil Queen knocked up.'?"

"Well I wouldn't say great." Emma told her. "Nor evil. I would just stick with the Queen part. I mean, you not the Evil Queen anymore, just the Queen. "

Regina actually stopped and blinked at her. "You can't be serious." She said shaking her head. "Anyway I would just put him in more danger and I don't need that on my conscience." She told them putting an end in the matter. "Just promise me that everything I said here won't leave this place."

"You have our word." Charming assured her.

She took a deep breath, nodded and left the apartment. Her breasts were painfully swollen, she was feeling a bit edgy and there wasn't anything in the world that she wanted more than her bed. Except perhaps Henry to remember her.


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all I want to thank you guys SO VERY MUCH for all the reviews and the followers and everything else. Honestly I didn't think I would get all this answer and I couldn't be any happier.**

**I want to thank specially **_Wandering Lady_** for the tips.**

**This is a longer chapter, next one (that I hope to post until Saturday) will start immediately after the end of this one.**

**I hope you enjoy it and let me know!**

* * *

She didn't regret it. Not even for a second. Alright maybe for a second. But it was quickly and now she didn't regret it anymore. When she pushed her body from the bathroom to her bed she thought that everything had been worth it.

Regina had woken up at six in the morning craving for canned beans, pickles and lots of honey. It was crazy she knew that, it had to be psychological. But since the news of her pregnancy she had to add honey at her food. It didn't taste good if she didn't add it and if it didn't taste good she wouldn't eat it.

Against her will every time she would get honey she thought that her sweet baby girl wanted sweet food. Because she did her best not to think about the child she was carrying. She just couldn't bring herself to do this for now; it was too painful.

The truth was she was worn out from throwing up. Thirty minutes after finishing her _breakfast_ she knelt in front of the toilet, puking all the contest of her stomach out. Her body was aching from that, she was feeling weak and sweating cold. Once again she didn't regret it. But as soon as she reached her bed Regina got her cell phone and called Emma.

She was now lying down waiting for the Savior to come save her equipped with something for her stomach. The curtain were half closed so the day light didn't bother her but enough for her to be able to see the place around her and was startled by the presence of a person standing at her door. "What the hell?"

"Your Majesty." The man bowed lightly.

"Robin Hood, how did you get in my house?" Regina inquired. She wished her voice wasn't as weak as she felt. She switched to a sitting position to face him better.

He walked in and stood in front of her bed. "The doors of this land are tricky but the windows… Well windows will always be windows."

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Did you break into my house, Thief?" She had all the intention to sound intimidating only that was not what happened.

His answer was an apologetic smile even though that wasn't how he felt at all. And she chuckled at that. Regina didn't know if he was bold or stupid but one thing was true, Robin Hood wasn't afraid of her. "What exactly you are doing here?"

"I was at Granny's when you _contact_ Emma through that _tiny box_." A lot of things were new for him, mostly cell phones. He didn't quite understand those. "And I couldn't stop myself from hearing the conversation. You didn't sound so well." He said looking worried at her. "And now that I'm here I can say that you also don't look so well."

She wanted scold him for so many reasons but she was feeling positively dizzy now. "Since you already have your statement you may leave." She pointed at the door.

Except that he didn't. If anything he got further in her room until he was standing at her side. "You are definitely not alright. What happened? What can I do for you?"

"Nothing happened and you can get the out of here." Regina was sure she could feel the emptiness in her stomach. Her hands were shaking and the fact that this specific man were standing in her room plus worrying about her wellbeing didn't do any good to her nerves.

"Regina!" Emma appeared completely breathless at the door. "Thank God you are alive." She said relieved.

"Of course I am." Regina said indignant. "What did you take so damn long to come here?"

"You need a doctor. So I called the hospital and asked to the obstetrician to meet me here and have a check on you." The blond stepped in the room opening passage to a woman that was behind her. "This is Dr. Olivier"

Regina shook her head. She couldn't believe it. "When I said something for my stomach I meant medicines not a doctor!"

"Ms Mills." The doctor said with a smile and Regina sighed. The problem wasn't her at all, she actually liked that doctor. She was the one who saw her when she confirmed the pregnancy and she was very considerate. The problem was that things were getting out of her control and she didn't like it. "Ms. Swan did right. You can't take medicines by your own account. It may not be good for the baby."

"Baby?" Robin asked and Regina jumped. Literally. "What baby? Are you carrying a child?" How could she have forgotten completely that man standing by her side? "Why you didn't tell me?"

"Because it's obviously none of your business." She said carefully.

"You are ly–" Emma stopped herself covering her mouth with her hands. She looked with her eyes wild open to Regina from Robin. "Noooo!"

"No what?" He asked uncomfortable. He didn't like the way Emma was looking at him.

"Nothing." Regina answered putting an end on it.

"Yeah, nothing." Emma agreed but her face was still lit up like a Christmas tree.

Regina sighed annoyed. She thought that the only utility of the other woman's super power was to prove her innocent. She knew Emma would sense the lie but was hoping that she wouldn't catch why she had lied. She didn't want anyone to know about Robin.

"Since there's nothing can I take a look at you?" The doctor asked and when Regina nodded she approached and sat by her side. She checked her blood pressure, blood sugar levels, temperature and other stuff. "Miss Swan said that you had just finished your breakfast when you threw up. What were you eating?

"It wasn't just after it was half hour later." Regina answered and the doctor consented. "And I was eating pickles, canned beans and honey."

"Good Lord." The doctor breathed.

"I know it sounds disgusting but –"

"It sounds?" Emma looked disgusted.

"But." Regina continued as if not been interrupted. "When I add honey it becomes delicious. I swear."

"So honey is your thing." Doctor Olivier declared while putting a bag of saline solution and other things that any of the other three could identify out off her purse. "You are a bit dehydrated so I have to put this on you okay?"

She nodded but there was nothing alright. Sitting by her side at the bed was the doctor attending her, behind the doctor was Emma looking while the pregnant woman was being punctured and standing on the other side was Robin watching everything carefully. And that was unnerving.

"This is it? Is she going to be alright?" the man asked to the doctor.

"Yes. Of course." She said smiling then looked at Regina. "Now we just have to wait."

And the wait couldn't have been any more uncomfortable. Emma wouldn't stop glancing from Regina to Robin who hadn't moved an inch from his spot, the doctor hadn't asked if the man was the father but the question was all over her face and Robin was just there watching over her

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and leaned back at the headboard. The way her arm was outstretched and with the needle in it wasn't very nice but she didn't say anything because she didn't want they to know that the Evil Queen was afraid of needles.

Regina was sure she had just blinked but she had fallen asleep. "Welcome back." She heard the doctor say.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

"It's okay." Regina decided that she really liked that doctor. She liked the way that the other woman treated her like any other patient and not like the Evil Queen or just a queen for the matter. "I'll take this out of you." She said pointing at the thing stuck at her arm. "But first I want to check your blood pressure one more time." The doctor didn't wait for an answer to do what she wanted and gave a smile after seeing the result. "Much better."

She released Regina's arm, gathered her stuff and stood up. "You _will_ have lunch now and it'll be something light. Just for this meal you'll have to keep down the amount of honey." Emma chuckled at the desolate face Regina put at that. "And if this situation repeats again I won't come here, you will go to the hospital and you will most certainly not medicate yourself. Are we clear?" She scowled but nodded nevertheless. "Anything else?"

Regina shook her head and tried to get up to walk the doctor out but she said that wasn't necessary and when she replied that she needed to go down stairs to get ice cubes, which seems to be her pregnant self's second favorite thing in the world, Robin volunteered and left with the doctor leaving Emma and her behind.

"Do not." Regina said as soon as they couldn't hear the other's step.

"I didn't say anything!" Emma defended herself.

"Then keep like it."

And the blond did. At least for awhile. She bit her lips and stared out the window but when her leg started shaking showing how anxious she was, she groaned and said rather loud. "If you think Robin is the father you _have_ to do something about it!"

"Emma!" Regina chastised her.

"You think I am the father of your child?" For the second time that day he was standing at the door but instead of holding his bow he was with a glass full of the ice cubes Regina wanted. "Why?" Robin asked far too calm for someone asking this kind of question.

"Robin, look I–"

"Do you know a way to verify it?" He interrupted her getting in the room.

"What?" she breathed.

"You know a spell or a charm, perhaps even a potion, something that could say whether I'm the father or not?"

She nodded. She knew a spell, that's true but she also nodded because she was too shocked to do anything else.

Feeling like an intruder Emma murmured a good bye and left completely unnoticed.

"I don't understand." Regina said standing up and walking towards him. "How can you…? Why…?" She shook her head frustrated and repeated. "I don't understand."

He let out a nervous laugh. "And I don't know." He looked at her then at her belly. "I just… I really… you know?" She shook her head one more time. "Of course you don't. My apology. Can you just see whether I am or not?"

This time Regina nodded and without a word took his right hand, posed it palm up, then took a few seconds watching his tattoo before putting her own hand above his. "What will happen? How will I know?"

"If you aren't then nothing will happen but if you are… Well you will see." She said quietly.

And with that she hovered her free hand and held her breath. I wasn't long before a thin golden string appeared coming from their arms and joining at their linked hands molding a small form with the size of a seed. It was the brightest thing they'd ever seen.

"What is that?" Robin asked.

"That's her heart." She had a sweetest smile on her face and voice was as peaceful as ever. "That's my baby girl's heart."


	3. Chapter 3

**1 – Again, I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing and following. Seriously, I'm honestly shocked with the amount of followers this story has, despite all the grammatical mistakes and all.**

**2 – **_Wandering Lady_ **A.K.A. The Savior, thank you one more time. You have to change the setting of your profile to enable PM so I can actually talk to you xD**

**3 – OH MY GOD THEY KISSED! Last Sunday I was in a land forgotten by God, with no Wi-Fi and I only got to see the episode on Friday. And they kissed! \o/ ****I'm so excited!**

**4 – I hope you guys enjoy this one and let me know!**

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"_That's her heart." She had a sweetest smile on her face and voice was as peaceful as ever. "That's my baby girl's heart."_

Robin drew his hand back breaking the spell and Regina looked at him with gentle eyes. "She is mine too, isn't she?" she nodded her answer. "I knew it." He said, sitting at the end of the bed, rubbing his face.

How?" She felt very confused.

"It's like this curse has taken away my memory but didn't change the way I feel about some things." He tried to explain. "Since I met you I feel completely drawn to you, I feel this _need_ to protect you and I didn't understand why until now." he said pointing to her belly.

"I think I know what you mean." she said softly. "I just knew I could trust you."

Despite the intense way he was gazing her she saw he took her words to heart. "But that's not the reason you thought I was the father." She sighed and shook her head. "Nor why you gave me your heart to protect."

"No."

"Are you going to tell me?"

She considered not telling him in fact she _decided_ not to tell him. But besides feeling she could trust him no matter what she also felt need to be absolutely honest with him. She felt like she would tell him all her deepest secrets if he asked.

"That day at the farm wasn't the first time I ran from you."

"That's no possible. We've never met before."

"That's because I got away before you could see me." Regina said, sitting near him at the bed. She could feel his eyes on her but couldn't make herself to look back. "Not long after I became queen I founded myself worse than miserable and if this wasn't enough I was being taught magic by The Dark One." She had her hands resting over her growing belly.

"One day a good fairy came up and told she could use pixie dust to help me find my second chance. And she did. It pointed me to a man in a tavern, the person I'm meant to be with, my perfect match, but I ran away without even taking a look at his face because I was too scared and selfish for my own sake."

"So you don't know who he is" he said frowning.

"No. Not until recently." She hadn't met his eyes yet. "I didn't see the man's face but I could take a good look at his arms and at the lion tattoo on it."

It took a second to him fully understand what she said. "You can't possibly be implying that the man is me, that you and I are soul mates." He said in disbelief. "I mean that can't be even remotely possible"

"Pixie dust doesn't lie." She told him before he stood up and started pacing. She understood his reaction, she knew very well who she was and what she had just told him. Yet that didn't stop her feeling a pang in her chest.

"I don't know magic, I don't know how it works but this can't be true." He shook his head, confused. "I mean, how? How?" She sighed when she realized how lost he was. "I'm a thief!"

Regina chuckled at that. In fact, she actually laughed. She couldn't believe what he had just said.

"This isn't funny, Regina." He censured her but his seriousness didn't stop her from laughing a bit more.

"Actually it is." She told him. She smiled, stood up and walked toward him. "You are worrying yourself because you are a thief? Robin, I'm The Evil Queen. I thought you would be feeling repulsed."

"Wrong." He looked deeply into her eyes. "You are the queen, Regina. And how can a common thief be the soul mate of the queen? What could I ever have to offer you?"

His words hit her deeply and she remembered when Emma told her she wasn't evil anymore, that she was only a queen.

"Right now you can offer me to remain where you are, doing at you are doing." She breathed. More than anything she wanted to tell him that he could offer her what someone who was meant to be offers, love. But she couldn't do this to him, it wasn't fair.

"And what is that?"

"Keeping yourself and your son safe." She allowed her hands to rest on his chest and he took them with his.

"But it isn't only him and I anymore, there're you and a little one."

"I know. Yet that's how this is gonna have to be." That was why she didn't say what she wanted. "No one can know about this child nor that she's yours because if Zelena finds out she'll hurt you and Roland. Just because she can, just to hurt me." She saw he was going to reply so add. "You have to focus on protecting Roland and I'll focus on protecting this one."

"I don't like it, Regina but if you say this is for the best then I believe you." He gave a chaste kiss at each of her hands.

She breathed out heavily. She felt safe in his embrace, in a way she never felt before and she didn't want to leave it but she knew that wasn't an option. She couldn't allow herself to this for now.

"Promise me that if anything happens you will come for me."

"I promise." Like if she could say anything else to him.

He smiled at her. "I should go and you _need_ to eat." He released her and took a step back, both of them feeling the loss.

"I know." She sighed.

"Light food and low honey." He went for his weapon.

"I know." Then she groaned.

"Your Majesty." He said before bowing and leaving the room.

* * *

A few days later Regina found herself rushing in through the woods looking for Robin's camp and she didn't stop until she found it. When she saw him holding tightly to his son, she went to them.

"Is he okay? Are you okay? Is he hurt? Are you hurt? What happened?" She dumped all the questions at him while looking for injuries on them.

"We are fine but the Dark One has your heart." She hated the guilt look on his face and the way his son clung to him scared.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. You trusted me on this and I failed you but I promise–"

"No, it doesn't and you will most certainly not go after it. Don't you dare." the intensity in her words didn't leave any room for replies. "It is not worth it."

"It's your heart, Regina." He tried to justify. "Aren't you even worried?"

"Of course I am but no more than I was before." She covered her face for a second gathering her thoughts. "I thought she wanted my heart to K-I-L-L me." She spelled the word for Roland's sake. "But she didn't. Which means she wants it to do something far worse and if you go after it, you will only get yourself K-I-L-L-E-D."

"And the fact that she doesn't want to see you _dead_," he mouthed. "only worse, mean that I'm supposed to be alright with it?"

"I'll stop her, I promise." He believed in her, she could see and she wouldn't disappoint him. "As for now I'll put a protection spell around the camp. It won't stop Zelena or Rumples if they really want to get in, but it'll keep away nasty people and flying monkeys."

"I don't like to deal with magic." He told her.

"And you won't. I will." She moved away from him to start the spell when she caught an amused smile on his face. "What?"

He release Roland and told him to stay near the other before looking back at her. "I have only known you for a little more than a week and you already drive me crazy. I must say that I'm a bit scared of getting my memory back." Robin told her and that, plus his grin, earned him a punch on his arms from Regina.


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry, guys. I didn't mean to take this long to update. But things happened. Really sorry!**

_Galxychld_**, thank you do much for the offer, but I got a beta. **_Wandering Lady_** and I managed to talk to each other. And we have to thank her this chapter! Thanks, girl!**

**Hope you enjoy this one, next chapter things will start to get happy for my Sassy Queen, ****because she deserves!**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Regina was now in her eighteenth week of pregnancy and the changes to her body were starting to become visible. She had to choose her clothes carefully otherwise, if paying attention, people could spot her growing belly. Her breasts were swollen and tender, but not a nuisance anymore. On the other hand, her backache couldn't get any worse. It just wasn't possible, she thought.

She was sure Granny had already got the hint. The day before, Regina was eating in the corner of the diner and caught the old lady staring openly at her belly. When their eyes met, the other woman didn't say or do anything but Regina just knew. Besides, Granny was being a lot nicer to her, which had never happened before.

She ended her long warm bath, put on a loose dress that wouldn't mark her body too much and went to watch some TV with her feet up, as they were starting to swell. She wasn't in the mood to see people and she didn't have to meet the others till night. They were going to talk about Zelena, or at least the lack of Zelena. The green toad hadn't made a move since she had showed up at Regina's place and that was more worrying than anything.

"There you are." She was really relaxed on the couch and jumped when she heard the voice. "It's been a while."

There, standing in her living room, was none other than Robin Hood, half smiling. "What the hell! You almost gave me a heart attack." She said with a hand over her empty rib cage.

"Not my intention, milady. I guarantee." He came closer getting a good look at her.

She held up her hand making him stop. "How, exactly, did you get in here?" He diverted his eyes from hers guiltily. "Seriously? This breaking in through my windows thing isn't just getting old, it's also very annoying!" She scolded him.

"But the door was locked." Her mouth felt open in disbelief from his statement. "Look I just wanted to know how you are. It's been a whole week." He told her honestly before she could recover from her shock.

He mouth closed with a thud and she gazed him. He wasn't facing her anymore, his eyes were the small curve of her belly. "You shouldn't have come here. You endured a week, you could've waited a few more hours. We are all going to meet later, you would have seen me there."

Before she finished talking he was already shaking his head. "No. I wanted to see you in private." He asked for permission to touch her belly and she let him, telling him that she wasn't sure whether she felt the baby moving or not. "I understand why you want us far from each other, but I don't think I can't keep away anymore. I need to know you are well, Regina, the lack of news almost ate me alive."

She had been avoiding people as much as she could. Aside from a very few people, everyone else was treating her with pure hostility and she thought she had already enough on her plate without all that drama. Which meant she only went outside her house to go to Granny's or to the Charmings'. And, of course, there was also Henry, whom she has been avoiding since she found herself pregnant.

"I'm sorry." She said, and she truly was. "I can get you a cell phone." she suggested. He took a second to realize what she was talking about then nodded. He was slowly learning the new things of Storybrooke. "I'll teach you how it works and we can use it to talk to each other."

The relieved expression on his face and the sincerity in his voice when he thanked her made her shiver. Regina couldn't explain it very well but she missed his presence somehow; this last week she felt like something was missing and she was sure it was him. Like one night, when she woke up from a nightmare looking for him. As he said, it felt like the curse took away her memories but not her feelings.

"By the way, I was intending to ask, how do you know it's a girl?" He asked pointing to her belly. "Did you use magic? Because that other day, you said what we saw was her heart and you just told me you don't know for sure whether you can feel her moving."

"No. Not magic." How, on Earth, could she explain what an ultrasound was? "Doctor Olivier has this equipment that allows her to see the baby's gender. It doesn't require magic, it uses… It's just another Storybrooke thing." She said. "Look, it _is_ a girl. Just accept this as a fact."

"Surreal" He said with this broad smile. "And, I'm not just going to have daughter. She'll also be a princess."

"How come you are surprised your daughter is going to be a princess since you are also known as the King of Outlaws?"

"True." He burst into a laugh. "So then shouldn't you bow before me?"

The smile on her face disappeared in an instant. "Don't push." She said, pointing a warning finger at him.

* * *

Regina and Robin agreed to meet later that day – before they headed to Granny's and met the others – to get him a cell phone. They met in front of the electronics store and as soon as they went in, she regretted it deeply. The man looked like a child in a candy shop, eyeing every single item in the place intensely and thus, she had to drag him to the phone aisle.

She purchased the simplest device that even Roland, at his age, wouldn't have problems using and Robin didn't disappoint her. In fact, he got the hang of the thing with an amazing speed for someone born and raised in a forest and without any knowledge of technology. But she didn't count on the amount of time he would spend mesmerized by the phone.

When they entered the diner, later than intended, Emma greeted her with a sarcastic "just in time" which Regina responded to with a roll of her eyes. She walked to a as far away as possible without actually leaving the group and Robin followed her without a second thought, never averting his eyes off his new _toy,_ just like she has seeing Henry doing with his videogame.

Not long after that, Belle stumbled into the diner with wild eyes, announcing her discovery about Zelena's intentions to the room.

"What do you mean with 'she's planning on going back in time'?" Snow inquired, now with her eyes as wide open as Belle's.

"She can't be any more specific than this now, can she?" Regina said impatiently from her seat. "But, are you sure Belle? Because no one has ever succeeded at going back in time. "

"Yes." Belle told her and took a deep breath. "Brains, courage, a resilient heart… All these ingredients are in _every_ time travel spell I found."

"But if no one has succeeded, what makes her think she can do it?" Charming asked.

The librarian shook her head slowly with an apologetic face and in the silence that fell upon the diner, they could all hear when Regina gasped and then covered her mouth with one hand in shock. With her other shaking hand, she pointed at Snow's stomach.

"No." Snow whined, embracing her round belly. "Not my baby."

"Oh my God." Emma breathed, watching her father hugging her mother tightly. "We _have_ to stop her."

"And we will." David said from his position, with a force that Regina doubted he felt.

"How?" His daughter asked.

"Why don't you go after her?" Leroy said pointing to Regina.

"She is much stronger than I am." Regina was genuinely lost. Snow's baby wasn't the only one taking over her mind. "She could destroy me easily."

"Who cares? It isn't like anyone is going to miss you." Leroy shot at her.

"Apologize to her." Robin growled. It impressed her the way the man standing by her side went from completely distracted to utterly alert in seconds. And to defend her.

"Are you insane?" The dwarf was confused by the suddenly outburst. "Look around, man. I'm not the only one to think like that." But when he looked around, he saw everyone staring at him. He looked at Granny for support, but she averted her eyes.

Regina snorted at the scene, putting her hand over Robin's arm to stop him from jumping on the dwarf. "Oh, please. Don't let my pregnancy cloud your judgment, dear." She sneered at the old lady, rising from her place. She was wearing a coat that appeared too large on her, but it was just on the edge of 'don't fit', due to her growing stomach, so when she caressed her belly, people inside the diner could spot her pregnancy easily. "Did you know it's a girl? You know, I can almost hear people saying: 'long live the Evil Princess'."

"Regina!" she heard Snow and Robin gasping at her at the same time.

"What? You two can't? Sad." she mocked. "Of course, I'll have to teach her some nasty things so she can bear the title well, but that won't be a problem." she said, evenly moving towards the door. "As for Zelena... Good luck with her, I quit." Then she left through the door, slamming it after her, making a departure worthy of a queen, and then serenely headed home.

OQ

For the first time in forever, she wasn't hungry. She arrived at home and went straight to her couch, feet up, trying her best not to let the words of that stupid dwarf hit her, but failing drastically.

If Zelena decided to truly defeat her, she wouldn't be missed. Her own son, Henry, had absolutely no idea who she really was. And then there was Robin. He knew who she was and what she was supposed to mean to him, but in reality, she was a complete stranger. He could only grieve the idea of her and their daughter, nothing else.

And that kind of hurt.

When Regina heard a knock at her door, she took a moment to compose herself before answering it.

"Not in the mood for chitchat right now." She told Snow White, who was standing alone at her door.

"Glad I didn't ask." The very pregnant woman retorted walking heavily into the house without being invited. "Bathroom." She let out, while heading out through the corridor and disappearing behind a door, leaving a stunned Regina behind.

When she got back, with a relieved look on her face, she joined Regina at the couch. "You should enjoy your time while your life isn't controlled by your bladder." She remarked, receiving a snort in answer.

"Why are you here? Where are the knights and warriors to protect you from the Evil Queen?"

"Please. It isn't like that anymore and you know it." Snow said and Regina sighed. She knew that what the other woman said was true and she didn't need her memories of the past year to be sure of it; just like with Robin, she could feel it. In spite of the fact that they didn't go back to the Enchanted Forest as enemies, she could feel a stronger bound between them. No, they weren't best buddies, but yes, there was amity there. "Oh… And, you made quite an impression at Granny's, though I don't think Robin enjoyed the Evil Princess part. In fact, he asked for you to call him as soon as you can."

"Why didn't he come?" Regina asked intrigued. She knew he wouldn't be pleased with the things she said at the diner. She'd even expect him to come after her. "Why you are here alone? Better yet, why you are here at all?"

"Okay… He didn't come because I didn't let him, or anyone else, come with me because I wanted to talk to you alone."

"Look, when I said I quit, I didn't really mean that, I was just pissed, so don't worry." Regina told her and stood up, saying she wanted tea. Snow dragged herself after the queen.

"I know." Snow said, settling in a stool. "I came to talk about one of the ingredients." The thought that the baby was the key ingredient hit her again the moment she gazed at Snow's belly. It explained perfectly why Zelena was hovering over both mother and soon-to-be-born baby. "Does it have to be mine because it is a product of true love or it could any baby?"

"The first, I believe." Regina's hand fell instinctively over her own belly when she thought about _her_ daughter, also a product of true love. But she removed her hand from it quickly, as if it had burnt her, after realizing what she had done. She tried to disguise her action by busying herself with the whistling kettle.

"Do you think Zelena knows of yours?"

"No. She hasn't acknowledged my pregnancy in any way." Regina had already spent a good amount of time thinking about it and she was positively sure Zelena didn't know.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what? The fact that she doesn't know she'll have a niece?" She snorted.

"No." Snow looked solemnly at Regina. "About the fact that you've been avoiding your baby?"

"What?" Regina squealed. "You have gone insane. It's inside me, how could I even avoid it?" She cleared her throat. "Your pregnancy is destroying your brain."

The other shook her head slowly, eyeing her. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm saying." Snow said calmly. "I've seeing the guilty face you put on every time you touch your belly or even when you make a nice remark about your pregnancy."

"You don't know what you are talking about, so cut it." The older woman warned her, her voice like acid.

"I won't because I know exactly what I'm saying." Snow declared unafraid. "And I think you are doing it because, deep down, you think you used this pregnancy to get over Henry." Regina went motionless in seconds. "I'll go even further and dare to say that that's why you've been avoiding him." She stood up and clumsily walked to the woman next to her and held her hands. "But the thing is, I truly believe you are mistaken. You love your son way too much to do something like that."

Regina had never had someone demonstrate such faith in her, and for it to be Snow White of all people; it was overwhelming. She could not prevent the tear that fell. "Do you genuinely think that?"

Snow gave her an honest smile and nodded before she started drinking her tea. "I spent a while mulling over the same doubts you have." She admitted after some time.

Regina took a moment to look at her before saying: "Why? Emma knew you wanted another child. You said it in Neverland."

"I know, but that was before. When I thought that we would all be together in Storybrooke, not in the Enchanted Forest thinking that I would never see my daughter again." Regina nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. "But then I too love my daughter too much for that."


End file.
